Almost Hopeless
by Stormy - JML Ranch
Summary: Extremely dark AU. Gunstorm Prime, the first Femme Prime since Solus, is held prisoner on the Decepticon Warship. Forced to endure pain beyond imagination, she has just about given up on everything. When I say everything, I mean everything. Well, almost. She doesn't know that there is still hope...and a chance to be loved once again.
1. Chapter 1

**JML Ranch:** Howdy! Oy, it has been a while since I posted something on here...  
**Gunstorm Prime:** Didn't know you had a Fan Fiction account...  
**JML Ranch:** This is one of my new OCs, Gunstorm Prime. If you want to know more about her, she's on my DeviantArt account. Link is in my bio.  
**Gunstorm Prime:** Howdy!  
**Optimus Prime (Movieverse):** Hey JML! Been a while, eh?  
**Optimus Prime (TFP):** Welcome back.  
**JML Ranch:** ...How did two versions of Optimus Prime end up in the same room as me?  
**Optimus Prime (TFP):** I ended up here due to a... Groundbridge malfunction...  
**JML Ranch:** Ah. Well, that's understandable. You're more than welcome to stay however long you need to. Gunny, would you do the disclaimers and warnings?  
**Gunstorm Prime:** Certainly! Alright, listen up. JML Ranch does not own Transformers, and the warnings are for strong content.  
**JML** **Ranch:** Thank you! Oh, and Gunstorm is a 'she', not a 'he'. Just clearing up any confusions!  
**Optimus Prime (TFP &amp; Movieverse):** ... *TFP OP staring at Gunstorm*  
**Gunstorm Prime:** *notices TFP OP staring at her and raises an optic ridge at him suggestively* Like what ya see?  
**Optimus Prime (TFP):** *processor pops* *collapses onto floor*  
**JML Ranch:** You naughty femme! *howls with laughter* Don't worry folks, he'll be alright.  
**Gunstorm Prime:** I just was merely feeling a bit mischievous. Ok, that's enough chitchat, here's the first chapter!

* * *

_Thoughts_

"Normal Speech"

* * *

"Take him to the brig," Megatron ordered the Vehicons, looking at the prisoner with disgust. The poor mech was dragged away, his injuries making it difficult to stand. Megatron turned around, standing on the bridge of the warship.

Down in the brig, the prisoners looked out of their cells, watching the latest arrival get shoved roughly into a cell. A few prisoners flinched at the loud noise when the cell door slammed shut. The Vehicons left the brig, silence blanketing the hall. No one dared to break the silence in fear of getting a sound beating.

At the far end of the hall that ran the entire length of the Decepticon warship, there was a single cell door. If someone were to look in, they would only see a dark outline. The figure was standing up with its servos chained above and away from its frame, a sure sign that whoever was in there was deadly.

There were rumors among the Decepticon ranks about who it could be. Some speculated that it was one of Shockwave's experiments gone awry; others thought it was a souniver from another world. No one would have guessed who it _really_ was. He- rather, _she_\- was from Cybertron, but wasn't born there. Her life all began on an organic planet called Earth. She once had been a human.

**(?'s POV)**

_Why is this happening to me?_

_ What did I do to deserve this?_

_ How long will I remain here? It's been so long since I've been free…_

_ Freedom…I thought that freedom was the right of all sentient beings. I guess it can be taken away for evil crimes, but to take an innocent beings' freedom away? That ain't right… Oh how I long to be free…to be able to move under my own will…make my own choices…_

My thoughts were cut short by footsteps echoing in the hall. I did not move a single millimeter, knowing what was coming and steeling myself for it. The door opened to reveal Starscream, Megatron's shrewd second-in-command. I stared at the floor, accepting whatever torture he had planned for me.

"Still not giving up? My, my, you are a tough femme. I'm shocked you're still online. You should been dead long ago, but somehow…" he sauntered into the room, a sadistic grin on his faceplates. "Somehow, you managed to beat the odds. What is it that makes you so special?"

I didn't reply because if I did, he would have backhanded me _hard_. He only laughed at my silence, pulling out a flail from his subspace.

"Good femme, staying silent like you should be," he purred seductively. "Now…Are you going to take your punishment like a good one? Or will I have to take more drastic measures?"

CRACK!

I barely flinched when the first blow landed on my back, processor numb from the constant pain I was forced to endure. All I could do was stare at the floor in front of me as blow upon blow landed. After a spell, Starscream quit flailing me and moved on to another torture. He pulled out a small vital of some caustic chemical that I knew would cause major agony. Today was one of those 'how much pain can he put me in before he's finished' kind of days.

Without warning, he poured the chemical on me. I did not make a sound, nor did I flinch. But I could feel the chemical eating away at the metal, and that is one of the most painful things to have to endure. I stood there, completely helpless as Starscream tortured me.

After a while, he left the cell, locking the door. It was only then that did I let my tears of pain out. Fresh Energon tricked down my stabilizing servos, mixing with the old Energon on the floor. A piece of white armor indicated that my wings no longer had protection.

_Why me?_ I pleaded internally, hoping that Primus heard my silent cries for help. _If you knew this was going to happen to me, why did you choose me to be a Prime?_ I bowed my helm in shame, for I felt like I did not deserve to be a Prime anymore. Before long, I was in a light recharge, exhausted from the pain and starvation. The last thought I had was _I don't know if I want to live anymore… I have nothing left._

* * *

**AN: This is my first time writing something like this. I may or may not keep this going. If you REALLY want me to keep going, just let me know! :)**

**Y'all know the drill, I ain't gonna remind everyone.**

**Until next time, this is JML Ranch transforming and rolling out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**JML Ranch:** Ugh, my mind is tired from all the studying I did this weekend and the chemistry exam I had today...  
**Gunstorm Prime:** Well, at least you don't have to worry about that for a while.  
**JML Ranch:** True. Would you do the disclaimer and warnings?  
**Gunstorm Prime:** Sure! JML Ranch does not own Transformers, only the story. Warnings are for mature contents.  
**JML Ranch:** Thank you! Here's Chapter 2.

* * *

_Thoughts  
_Written thoughts  
"Talking"

* * *

I did not know how long I had been held prisoner, but I knew that it had to be a long time. My internal chronometer was no longer working because Megatron had savagely beaten me one time and broke it. As such, I did not know what the date was or the time of the day. The only way I could tell if it was day or night was by listening to the activity going on above.

Hearing a door open, I raised my helm only enough to see out the window. _No…I would rather be tortured by Starscream than Megatron! _I screamed internally, fear trying to seize my spark. Megatron walked down the corroider, the all-too-familiar thud of his pedes filling my audials.

The cell door unlocked and opened, revealing the evil warlord. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. I looked down at the floor, not daring to look up at all as he walked around me. His gaze bore into the very core of my being, causing a small shiver to run through me. Pain coursed through my systems from the brief motion. Megatron stood in front of me for a long time.

"I have to say, I am impressed. Most femmes wouldn't have lasted as long as you have. However…" A twisted, sadistic grin made its way onto his face. Two Vehicons came into the room and stood next to Megatron. "Everything has its own purpose, and you have lost yours. Vehicons, take this prisoner out of here and dispose her."

The two Vehicons stepped to either side of me, and grabbed my servos. Before I knew what was going on, they had taken them out of the restrains and put on statsis cuffs. The chains around my pedes were removed, and then I was roughly shoved forward. I nearly fell, but managed to stay up. Two more Vehicons stepped in front of me, leading the way to my next destination.

I was forced to stumble along, not getting any help at all. Pain threatened to send me into statsis lock. _Where are we going? What is going on?_ I thought to myself. Those questions were soon answered when I was shoved abruptly into an escape pod. The hatch door closed, throwing me into darkness. I felt the cuffs unlock, releasing my servos. The pod was launched into space, heading to Primus knows where. _I guess this is how I die… better than dying on that warship._ I closed my optics, unable to fight off recharge.

I did not know how long I had been in recharge, but I felt a little bit better. Maybe. Lifting my helm, I looked around the pod. Spotting a window low to the floor, I debated whether I should move or not. Venting softly, I made up my processor and slowly rolled onto my front. I painfully crawled forward, making my way to the window. It took me a while, but I finally reached the window and peered out.

A familiar planet came into view. _Impossible…how did I end up back here? This is where I am from… _I looked at Earth in shock and disbelief. Unable to look out the window any longer, I laid back down on the floor. The pod began to shake, which meant I was now in the atmosphere. Closing my optics, I braced myself for the impact. _Please… don't let me survive this..._ I silently begged right before I was jarred around. I hit my helm on something, my vision fading to black.

I woke up, and it was dark. A noise coming from outside of the pod caught my attention. I could hear a deep baritone voice, then metallic clanging filled the air around me, causing me to jerk slightly. The hatch was tore off, allowing the light to flood inside. A red mech appear in the opening, and he froze upon seeing me. I did not move at all, too weakened to do anything but look at him with a defeated gaze. The mech stepped into the pod, and crouched in front of me.

"What is your designation?" he asked me softly. I tried to say something, but all I could produce was static. My battle mask started to retract, but pain prevented me from retracting it fully. I held my left hand out and pretended to write on it with my right hand, asking for a datapad and stylus. He reached into his subspace and retrived a datapad and stylus, handing it to me. I took the datapad and wrote on it. When I finished writing, I held it up for him to see.

My designation is Gunstorm Prime. What is yours? He looked at me in surprise, and then regained his composure.

"I am Optimus Prime. How did you end up here?"

I was held prisoner on the Decepticon warship. They threw me in this pod and sent me off into space.

"Oh Primus…" He shook his helm, closing his optics. Opening his optics again, he let out a shaky vent. "I'm going to take you back to the base, okay? Ratchet, our CMO, can help you."

I just nodded my helm and sat up, or tried to sit up. I had no energy or strength left in my battered frame. Optimus helped me sit up, and he saw firsthand the extent of my injuries. His optics cycled to their widest setting, horrified.

That's only on the surface. I wrote on the datapad, looking at the ground dejectedly as I showed him the message. He looked at me with deep sorrow, and then activated his comlink.

"Ratchet, I found a survivor. Please send everyone else to another part of the base until she's in the med bay." Standing up, he moved in front of me and then crouched again. He gently took my servos and set one on either shoulder. I clasped my hands together, tightening my grip. He started to stand up slowly, and as he stood, I somehow managed to get one pede under me and struggled to stand. Before I lost my balance, Optimus picked me up.

_When was the last time I was carried like this? _I wondered as Optimus walked out of the pod. Setting my chin on his shoulder, I looked at the charred pod. _Optimus is the only one who didn't turn me away. When the others see me and learn of my designation, they won't want to be around me anymore. They're going to think that I am a Decepticon spy._ I closed my optics as we entered the Groundbridge, the brightness huring my optics.

* * *

**AN: Well, at least she got out of that hellhole. Her ****physical wounds will heal, but the real question is: will her emotional wounds ever heal? That question will be answered at some point in the story.**

**Y'all know what to do.**

**Until next time, this is JML Ranch transforming and rolling out!**


End file.
